High speed chase ends in Nevada County arrest

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An 18-year-old Grass Valley man allegedly stole a vehicle and led local law enforcement on a prolonged high-speed chase that covered a significant swath of Nevada County late Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

William Cole Henderson was arrested after he crashed an allegedly stolen Toyota 4Runner on North Bloomfield Road near the intersection with Hoge Road at 12:11 a.m. Thursday, said California Highway Patrol Officer Pete Montez. He was allegedly found in possession of a firearm and was charged with four felonies, including evasion of police with disregard for safety and vehicle theft.

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office attempted to make contact with Henderson at 11:45 p.m. Wednesday near Nevada City, when Henderson fled in an attempt to evade capture.

The California Highway Patrol joined the chase one minute after midnight as Henderson was heading eastbound on Highway 20 toward Interstate 80, reaching speeds as high as 80 mph on the winding highway, Montez said.

Henderson turned off onto Forest Road, east of Harmony Ridge Market and The Old 5 Mile House, and reversed direction, heading westbound on Highway 20 back toward Nevada City.

Again, Henderson reach speeds as high as 80 miles per hour passing Scotts Flat Road.

He turned right on Highway 49, right on North Bloomfield and eventually crashed near Blue Ten, Montez said.

The crash was not believed to be major as Henderson suffered no serious injuries.

The arrest was uneventful, Montez said.

The sirens blaring during the chase were heard by several residents, according to assorted posts on Nevada County Peeps Facebook page.

Henderson was arrested the week prior by the Grass Valley Police Department, said Sgt. Alex Gammelgard of the GVPD. The arrest stemmed from a separate incident of vehicle theft.